Argentina vs Colombia- 5 key battles | Copa America 2021 semi-final
Argentina will play Colombia in the semi-final of the Copa America 2021 on July 7. The winner of the clash will take on Brazil in the summit clash.
Argentina have been one of the best teams at the Copa America 2021, with Lionel Messi leading the way. The Barcelona superstar has been the best player in the tournament, and every one of the Albiceleste's opponents have found it difficult to stop him so far. He was crucial once again as Argentina beat Ecuador 3-0 in the quarterfinals.
Colombia, on the other hand, beat Uruguay on penalties to secure their place in the semi-final. They are without talismanic attacker James Rodriguez, who was controversially not included in his nation's Copa America 2021 squad.
Here, we look at the 5 key battles between Argentina and Colombia which could define this game.
#5 Daniel Munoz (Chile) vs Papu Gomez (Argentina)
It will be intriguing to see who plays on the left-wing for Argentina in the semi-final of Copa America 2021. Nicolas Gonzalez, Angel di Maria and Papu Gomez have all operated there across the tournament so far.
Gomez's inclusion looks the most likely, however. The Sevilla man scored the sole goal of the game against Paraguay in the group stage and followed it up by opening the goalscoring against Bolivia. Gomez is a wily operator who is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line, and is renowned for his creativity and passing.
Daniel Munoz started at right-back for Colombia against Uruguay in the Copa America 2021 quarter-finals, and has been their first-choice right-back at the tournament so far. Munoz, who plays his club football for Belgian side Genk, will arguably face his toughest task at the Copa America 2021 so far when he comes up against Argentina.
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#4 Duvan Zapata (Colombia) vs Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina)
Duvan Zapata has been one of the best forwards in Serie A in recent seasons, and has thrived under the leadership of Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta.
The striker made 29 Serie A starts last season, scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists. Physically gifted and a strong finisher, Zapata created all sorts of problems for opposition defenders last season. However, the 30-year old has been subdued so far at the Copa America 2021.
Nicolas Otamendi, on the other hand, is one of Argentina's most experienced players. The 33-year old is an aggressive centre-back who often causes some nervous moments due to his erratic style of defending, but could potentially start in the Copa America 2021 semi-final. Otamendi will have to be at his very best in order to stop the likes of Zapata and Luis Muriel.
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